The Daily Stoic

Ryan And Guy Raz On Controlling Only What You Can

May 7, 2023

Guy Raz, an NPR host and author renowned for his podcast 'How I Built This', joins Ryan to explore Stoic wisdom in everyday life. They chat about the importance of controlling what one can, especially in unpredictable situations. The duo delves into kindness through a Stoic lens, reflecting on Marcus Aurelius’ teachings. They also tackle personal growth, discussing how meaningful actions surpass mere achievements. Lastly, they highlight the need for mindfulness in media consumption to enhance overall well-being.

46:28

Episode guests

Guy Raz

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Focusing on Yourself in Relationships

01:18

How Stoicism Helps Overcome Indifference in Life - Transcript Excerpt

01:34

The Stoic philosophy of care and vegetarianism

02:02

Intro

4min

Balancing Discipline and Excitement in Personal Care

2min

The Essence of Kindness and Stoicism

19min

Reflections on Authorship and Personal Growth

4min

Unlocking Personal Potential

15min

Mastering Media Mindfulness and Personal Well-Being

5min

When a recent Q&A session between Ryan and Robert Greene fell apart just hours before the conference due to emergency health concerns, the moment presented Ryan with an opportunity to lean into the Stoic practice of controlling only what one can. Thinking quickly and without panic, Ryan called his friend, NPR host and journalist Guy Raz, who was planning to sit front-row at the event, and asked if he wanted to fill in. Guy’s enthusiastic acceptance and willingness to jump into such an unusual situation led to the Q&A session and surrounding discussion that we present to you today. He and Ryan answer questions from the audience about what Marcus Aurelius would make of today’s notion of kindness, why Ryan favors formlessness, the daily habits that one can change in order to become a better Stoic, and more.

Ryan’s conversation with Robert Greene has been rescheduled, and you can go to ryanholiday.net/tour for dates and tickets.

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